Electrical connector assemblies are available for multi-conductor flat cables and which include an elongate housing having a cable terminating face. The housing has a plurality of contacts or terminals therein, the contacts having respective conductor receiving portions extending from the mating face, such as insulation displacement conductor terminating portions. The connector assembly also may include an elongate cable clamping cover assembly having latch means engaging complementary latch means on the housing to retain the cover assembly against the cable terminating face of the housing. The cover assembly has a through passage for receiving the conductors and aperture means which receive the conductor receiving portions of the contacts. Such connector assemblies are used, for example, in a communication system wherein it may be desirable to tap a peripheral device into the cable of an existing system. An example of such an electrical connector assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,668,039 to Marzili, dated May 26, 1987.
In some instances with electrical connector assemblies of the character described above, it may be desirable to provide a stop means for engaging a distal end of the cable so that the cable does not extend beyond the edge of the cable clamping cover assembly. However, the utilization of such a stop means limits the utility of the connector assembly, in that a different connector assembly or, at least, a different cable clamping cover assembly would have to be provided in those circumstances where it is desirable for the cable to extend entirely through the connector assembly.
This invention is directed to solving those problems by providing a cable clamping device which has deformable or frangible stop means whereby the device can be used either under conditions where it is not desirable for the cable to extend beyond the connector assembly or under conditions wherein the connector assembly is tapped into a cable intermediate the ends thereof.